The authorities of the disputed region of Abyei, located between Sudan and South Sudan, have revised down the death toll from the drone attack on a local market, which they attribute to the Sudanese Army, while Khartoum has yet to publicly comment on the bombing.
The interim Minister of Information of Abyei, Yohana Akol Ngor, has confirmed that "the total number of dead is 153." "That is the number of bodies buried, although there are people who are still missing," he detailed, referring to the attack on the Amiet market, located about ten kilometers north of the city of Abyei.
The regional official added that about 30 people remain hospitalized in medical centers, several of them in serious condition, so it is not ruled out that the death toll may increase, according to information released by the South Sudanese broadcaster Radio Tamazuj. Previously, local authorities had placed the toll at 220 dead.
According to sources consulted by this outlet, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) used this market as a fuel supply point for their units, which are fighting the Sudanese Army in the civil war that began in April 2023, although for now there is no official confirmation on this point.
The Government of South Sudan summoned the Sudanese ambassador in Juba on Monday to convey its "strong protest" over the bombing and "its implications for the safety of civilians and stability in Abyei," while demanding that Khartoum address the bombing and "its implications for the safety of civilians and stability in Abyei."
The status of Abyei — where the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) operates — remained unresolved after the independence of South Sudan in 2011 and continues to be one of the main points of friction between both States due to its geostrategic value and the presence of important energy resources.
The future of the area was supposed to be determined through a referendum contemplated in the 2005 peace agreements, which led to the secession of South Sudan, but the dgok dinka have blocked the holding of the consultation by outright rejecting the participation of the nomadic miseriya.
UNISFA itself "strongly" condemned the attack on Wednesday and emphasized that "attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable." It also indicated on social media that it continues efforts to verify the number of victims and specified that it has deployed medical teams in order to "evacuate the victims" and "contain the flames."